


Burnout

by HunterusHeroicus93



Category: Young Wallander (TV)
Genre: Exhaustion, Gen, Sleep Deprivation, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:29:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29646489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HunterusHeroicus93/pseuds/HunterusHeroicus93
Summary: Kurt ignores the advice of his colleagues and refuses to stop working. There are consequences.
Relationships: Kurt Wallander & Frida Rask, Kurt Wallander & Reza Al-Rahman
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	Burnout

Kurt sat at his desk, staring at the files spread in front of him. He was trying to piece together the clues from his latest case, but nothing was clicking. He sighed, ran his hands through his hair, and got up to find more coffee. He glanced around the office and realised it was quiet. How long had he been here, anyway? He thought it was only a few hours, but it felt more like days. His eyes burned and his body ached.  
  
Rask appeared behind him.   
  
“You’re early.”   
  
Kurt jumped and turned to face her, his eyes wide.   
  
“Jesus,” Rask whispered. “You never left.”   
  
“What? No, I- I have to finish this case.”   
  
“Kurt, go home. Get some sleep.”   
  
“I can’t. I need to figure this out. There has to be something.”   
  
Rask put her hand on his arm. “It can wait. You’re no good to anyone like this. You need to rest.”   
  
“I’m fine,” Kurt huffed, pulling away from her. He refilled his mug and headed back to his desk.   
  
Rask watched him go, frowning. She hated his stubbornness, but there was nothing she could do. Maybe Reza could get through to him.   
  
As the thought crossed her mind, Reza entered the precinct. She waved him over, holding the office door open. She followed him in and shut the door behind her.   
  
Reza looked worried. “What’s up?”   
  
Rask glanced over at Kurt, hunched over his files again.   
  
“I’m worried about Kurt. He’s been here all night. I don’t think he’s taken a break since he got hold of this case. But he won’t listen to me. I was hoping you could talk to him.”   
  
Reza sighed. “I’ll try. But you know what he’s like. Once he’s fixated on something, he can’t let it go.”   
  
“I know,” Rask nodded. “But you’re his best friend. Maybe he’ll listen to you.”   
  
“Alright. I’ll give it a go.”   
  
“Thanks, Rez.”   
  
***   
  
Reza grabbed a cup of coffee and headed over to Kurt’s desk.   
  
“Morning, Kurt,” he said, trying to keep his tone casual.   
  
Kurt hummed in response. He was staring intently at the face of the woman they had pulled from the river, trying to find anything special about her, anything that stood out. So far, there was nothing.   
  
“How’s it going?”   
  
“Not good,” Kurt sighed. “I still have no suspects, and I can’t find anything on her that would make someone want to hurt her. She was a good person. A vet, a volunteer at the homeless shelter in her spare time, friendly to everyone she met. Why would someone do this to her?”   
  
“I don’t know.” Reza shook his head. “Maybe you should take a break? Give yourself some room to breathe and come back to it later.”   
  
“No,” Kurt answered immediately. “I have to find something.”   
  
“Kurt, you haven’t slept. Rask said you’d been here all night. All day yesterday, too, right?”   
  
Kurt chuckled drily. “Of course Rask put you up to this.”   
  
“That’s not -”   
  
“She tried to get me to go home. But I can’t. I can’t leave her.” He gestured to the photos on the desk.   
  
“She will still be here when you get back. You can’t help her if you’re too tired. Go and get some sleep. At least a few hours. Then come back when you’re rested, and we’ll let you work. Okay?”   
  
“Rez, I’m _fine_ ,” Kurt sighed, looking up at him.   
  
“You’re clearly not. You’re stressed, over-tired, over-worked, and you’re shaking. How much coffee have you had? Don’t answer that. I’m taking you home.” He reached for Kurt’s arm to pull him up, and Kurt snapped.   
  
“Don’t touch me!” He leapt to his feet and pushed Reza away from him. “I have to work, Reza. I have to…”   
  
He trailed off, his vision blurring slightly.   
  
“Kurt?” Reza swam in front of him. Kurt shook his head, his eyes focusing again.   
  
“I’m okay, just a little dizzy. Rez, I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ve been working too hard. This case…”   
  
“I get it. I’ve been there. Let me take you home, alright?”   
  
Kurt nodded and turned to pack up his files.   
  
“I’ll do that,” Rask offered. She had seen Kurt push Reza and immediately came to intervene.   
  
He nodded his thanks, and picked up his jacket. The room spun as he did so. He lifted a hand to his head, and it felt like he was dragging it through cement. He really _was_ tired. He hadn’t noticed before, he was so focused on his work. But now that he’d stood up, it set in.   
  
“Rez?” he said quietly, not entirely sure he was speaking out loud. “I think…” The sentence was left unfinished. Reza’s voice called to him from far away, and then everything turned black.   
  
***   
  
Kurt opened his eyes to a white ceiling. For a second, he thought he was at home in bed, and relaxed a little. Then he realised he was laying on what felt like a sofa, and he looked around the room. The room was smallish, with a desk sitting in its centre. Rask was perched on top of it.   
  
“I thought I told you to go home,” she scolded.   
  
Kurt remembered their conversation from earlier, and then talking to Reza, and then… nothing.   
  
“What…?”   
  
“You passed out. And you’re taking the rest of the day off.”   
  
“No, I -” Kurt sat up. “I have to get back to work. Please.”   
  
“Don’t make me give you tomorrow off, too.” Kurt groaned.   
  
Reza came in at that moment.   
  
“Is he still refusing to leave?” he asked, looking from Kurt to Rask.   
  
Rask nodded.   
  
“Plan B?” Reza grinned.   
  
“What’s Plan B?” Kurt asked nervously.   
  
Reza held up his handcuffs.   
  
Kurt rolled his eyes. “Are you serious?”   
  
“If you won’t leave the building on your own, Reza has my permission to make you,” Rask said seriously.   
  
Kurt stared at her, then looked at Reza for confirmation. Reza nodded.   
  
Kurt sighed, defeated. “Fine. I’m going. But just for today. I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”   
  
“Deal,” Rask smiled. “Now, get the hell out of my office. Some of us have work to do.”   
  
Kurt stood shakily. Reza steadied him, then followed him out of the building.   
  
“What are you, my babysitter?” Kurt laughed.   
  
“Something like that. And I did offer to drive you home, remember?”   
  
“Right.”   
  
They reached the car, and Kurt stopped. “Rez? I, uh… I should not have gotten angry at you. I’m sorry. You were just trying to help. I was too focused on that case. I don’t know what it was about it, I just couldn’t pull myself away. Thank you for getting me out of there. I’d almost forgotten what fresh air felt like.”   
  
“Kurt, stop. It’s okay,” Reza reassured him.   
  
Kurt smiled. “You weren’t really going to cuff me, were you?”   
  
Reza laughed. “No. That was Rask’s idea. She knew you wouldn’t like it, and it would get you to agree to leave.”   
  
They got into the car, and Reza started the engine. As he pulled out of the parking lot, he turned to Kurt. “By the way, I called Mona. She’s waiting for you at home.”   
  
“Rez!” Kurt yelped. He was going to be in for it when he got back. Mona had been warning him all week that he was going to overdo it, and now here he was, being driven home by a colleague because he had done exactly that. Reza was chuckling beside him, and Kurt couldn’t help but join in.


End file.
